Oyster punching machine



Oct. 20, 1942. L DicKERsoN oYsTEn. PUNcHINc MACHINE Filed Nov. 8,V 1941 @ff ,ai V

Patented Oct. 20, 1942 UNlTED STATES PATENT OFFICE OYSTER PUNCHING MACHINE Leary Dickerson, Nesting, Va.

Application November 8, 1941, Serial No. 418,418

2 Claims.

This invention relates to oyster punching devices, the principal object being to provide a device by means of which a portion of the mouth end of the shell of an oyster may be quickly cut away so as to cause an opening into which the point of an oyster knife may be inserted for prying the two shell sections apart in the manner well known to those skilled in the art of oyster shucking.

Further objects are to provide a device of the character stated which may be operated by either hand or foot power; which will be simple of construction; and which will be inexpensive to manufacture.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing.

Figure l is a side view partly in section and partly in elevation.

Figure 2 is a transverse section on the line 2--2 of Figure l.

Figure 3 is a plan View.

Figure 4 is an end view.

Figures 5 and 6 are enlarged detail views.

Referring to the drawing, and particularly to Figure 1 thereof, I9 designates an elongated body which is substantially square in cross section and which is preferably constructed of metal although it may be constructed of any other suitable material.

The body is supported at its forward end by legs II and at its rear end by legs I2, the latter being bent at right angles to provide rearwardly extending feet i3 which are connected near their free ends by a cross bar I 4. Extending across the body I 3 near its forward end is a V-shaped channel I5 having a rear wall I5a and a front wall I5b. Extending upwardly through the bottom of the body and communicating with the channel I5 through the lower margin of its front wall |519 is a passage I6. Extending forwardly through the rear end of the body II) and communicating with the channel I5 through its rear wall I5a at a point opposite the upper end of the passage I6 is a cylindrical bore I'I. Mounted in this bore is a plunger I3 having a cylindrical cutter head I9 on its forward end and having its rear end portion slidably supported in a perforated guide plate 23 which is attached to the rear end of the body I9 in covering relation to the bore I l. The plunger I9 protrudes beyond the plate 29 and its protruding portion is screwthreaded as at 2l. Encircling the plunger is a coil spring 22 having one end bearing upon the head I9 and the other end engaging the inner 55 face of the plate 29. The spring 22 thus tends to force the head I9 across the channel I5 and into the upper end of the passage I6. The outer end face of the head I9 is beveled downwardly and forwardly to provide a sharp cutting edge I9a.

Projecting upwardly from the body I0 adjacent its rear end is a lug 23 pivoted to which is an end of an angle lever 24 near the free end of which is a yoke 25 which encircles the protruding portion of the plunger. Threaded on the plunger outwardly of the yoke is a nut 26 having an arcuate face 29 adapted to be engaged by the yoke 25 when the device is in position, as will be described later herein. The nut 26 may be adjusted longitudinally of the plunger and held in its adjusted position by means of a jamb nut 21. Also threaded on the protruding portion of the plunger I8, but inwardly of the yoke 25, is a stop in the form of a nut 28 which is adjustable on the plunger and which is held in adjusted position by the jamb nut 29. Secured to the rear end of the body Iil are ears 30 between which a trip lever 3| is pivotally mounted, and pivoted to an arm of this lever is the upper end of a rod 32 the lower end of which is pivoted to an end of a treadle 33 which treadle has its other end pivoted on the cross bar I4.

Pivoted to the upper end of the lever 3| is a dog 34 normally held in alinement with the upper end of the trip lever 3I by a leaf spring 35 having its lower end secured to said lever and having its upper end bearing against said dog. A coil spring 36 has one end connected to the trip lever 3| above its pivot point'l and has its other end connected to the rear end of the body I so as to hold the treadle 33 in a normally raised position.

If desired, the trip lever 3l may be extended rearwardly to provide a handle as indicated in dotted lines at 31. Connected to the under side of the body IIl and inclined downwardly and forwardly beneath the lower end of the passage I6 is a discharge plate 38. When the invention is put to use, an oyster, as indicated at A, is placed in the channel I 5 and held with its mouth end resting on the beveled end of the plunger head I9. Foot pressure is then applied to the treadle 33 which rocks the trip lever 3| thus causing its dog 34 to engage the free end of the lever 24 and draw the same rearwardly which rocks said lever on its pivot. Due to this rocking motion the yoke 25 engages the nut 26 on the plunger I8 and thus causes the latter to be moved rearwardly, at the same time compressing the spring 22 and causing the head I9 to be drawn from beneath the oyster. This causes the latter to fall to the bottom of the channel l5, where it is held in vertical position by the operator. Further pressure upon the treadle 33 then causes the dog 34 to pass beneath the end of the lever 24 which releases the latter and permits the spring 22 to drive the plunger I3 forwardly with suicient force to cause the sharp end |90, of the head I9 to cut through the shell of the oyster, detaching a small portion as indicated at B from its mouth end, which portion will `pass through the passage I, from which it will fall onto the plate 38 to be delivered to a suitable receptacle, not shown, placed therebeneath. After the plunger i3 has been thus driven forward, pressure upon the treadle 33 is discontinued, which permits the spring 36 to roel; the lever 3l and restore it to the position 'shown in Figure l so that the operation just described may be repeated. During the restoration of said flever to this position the dog 34 will engage vthe `free end of the lever 24 and will be rocked on its pivot against the action of the spring 35 so ,as to pass beneath said free end, after which it will Ybe restored yto upright position by said spring lfor the next operation of the device.

It will be understood that the degree to which the sharp edge Illa of the head I9 will pass into the :upper end of the passage It may be governed by vadjusting the sto-p or nut 28 longitudinally ofthe plunger |78. It will also be understood that the degree to which the head I9 will be drawn .l

rearwardly may be governed by adjusting the nut 26.0n said plunger.

After the oysters have been treated in the manner described they are removed from the vchannel and opened by means of the usual knife ywhich may be readily inserted into the shell through .theropening produced by the machine.

What is claimed is:

1-. An oyster punching machine including a body portion, an -oyster receiving channel extending transversely of the body, a longitudinal bore formed in the body and communicating with the channel, a plunger vmounted for reciprocation within the bore and having a portion extending outwardly of the body, a cutter head carried by the plunger and adapted to be moved into said channel, an angle lever pivotally connected to said body and surrounding said extending portion of the plunger, a movable trip lever adapted to releasably engage and rock said angle lever, means carried by the plunger and adapted to be engaged by said angle lever whereby to move the plunger in a direction away from said channel t when said angle lever is rocked, spring means Vfor-moving said plunger in the opposite direction when said angle lever is released from said trip lever, and means for rocking said trip lever.

2. A-n oyster punching machine including a bodyportion, an oyster receiving channel extending transversely of the body portion, a longitudinal bore formed in said body and having an end communicating with the channel, a perforated guide plate mounted .on the -body in covering relation with atheother end of the bore, a plunger mounted for reciprccation within the bore and having a portion extending through and beyond said cover plate, a cutter head carried by the plunger and adapted to be moved into said channely an angle lever pivotally connected to said body vand surrounding said extending portion of the plunger, a rockable trip lever adapted to releasably engage and rock said angle lever, means carried by the plunger and adapted to be engaged by said angle lever whereby t0 move the plunger in ardirection away from said channel, a coil spring surrounding said plunger1 said spring having an end engaging said cutter head and an end engaging said guide plate, and -means for rocking said trip lever.

I IEARY DICKERSON. 

